#tolys is pretentious and alfred cares too much

[hinotorihime]

@aphgenficexchange

first of all a huge apology that this is late and also not as detailed as i wanted it to be, i.e. i didn’t draw a picture for it like i planned to. the reason for this is mostly that i ended up moving with about 12 hours’ notice, but partly also because i can’t manage my time to save my life.

anyway, @nezznar, I’m your partner... again! and I decided to just take everything in your application that I thought was even remotely interesting, including:

America & Lithuania, people who ride the same public transit route OR AND penpals

high fantasy AU

epistolary format

and my favourite:

“if you’re feeling a poem as your medium, absolutely go ahead and do that.”

so here, without further ado, is

the lightning rail

i. samhain

and just like that a new year dawns: different poems, same writers and the world keeps on spinning we keep going and going just wheels on the lightning rail crackling and spitting (and chained) and ghosts walking beside us

//t.l.

ghosts beside me, leaves beneath me autumn cool and crisp inside me sun above me red and cold air weighed down with reeking smoke

--afj

a note to alfred, bless his heart

you know your life is really in pieces when your best friend in the bardic college is part of the day class and you can tell because his rhymes are so trite

//t.l.

dear tolys, you passive-aggressive shit

i guess that’s what you get for letting your best friend be someone you’ve never met outside words dropped on a lightning rail.

--afj

p.s. oh like you could do better mr night class

ii. midwinter

watch me

snow in my lungs and cold in my hair i am old, too old, for this air like steel like reels of thread trapped silk in my head mapped milky lines against the frost i am tossed through a wheel of seasons clawing for reasons in the frozen air above me

//t.l.

showoff

the frozen air above me like candles like dripping wax like pinpricks of stars like gems on my lashes (like blood on the snow all warm and brilliant and bright berry-red) like stabbing holly-leaves like dilated eyes: and so winter comes, in patterns of light.

--afj

okay that was actually pretty impressive

patterns of light patterns of thought patterns of gods-i-don’t-know-i-suppose-i-simply-- (you keep going and he asks you so-what?-so-it’s-like-that you say so-i-can’t-do-anything-else-but-go-on)

//t.l.

...are you okay?

--afj

i’m fine

//t.l.

you sure?

--afj

iii. candlemas

sure, ha, what is sure what in this world is sure i just can’t stand to watch her fall apart every year every damn year she crumbles with the snow piling up and the only thing we know how to do is carry on i suppose (there are too many supposes)

//t.l.

❤

there are too many supposes and a lot more memories: children are smarter than you think i knew. i know.

i’m here for you. you and your sister. you’ll be okay. i know it’s hard to believe but-- winter won’t last forever she’ll bloom again with the flowers with the lambs i promise. i’ve seen it. i see it.

--afj

nata says thanks

or at least she shrugged and didn’t frown which is practically applause from her you have to realize (you have to realize she’s all i have her and school and you and poetry)

//t.l.

p.s. you’d better not be showing these to anyone

what kind of asshole do you take me for?

remember old prof wang? he always used to say: learning songcraft means learning silence too. well i’m not good at one but i can damn well do the other

--afj

sorry

//t.l.

for what?

--afj

for dumping my problems on you

//t.l.

what do you even think friends are for?

you get better, you help your sister get better, i’ll be here no matter what you want to talk about, whether that’s your problems or your classwork. so stop it. you keep doing this and i’m sick of it. let people support you.

--afj

see you’re not responding because you know i’m right.

--afj

iv. alban eilir

every time i take a breath it’s like a promise in my lungs: birth and death and rebirth and redeath like all the songs i’ve ever sung at once, everything i forget and remember with the turning of the sun the seasons’ wheel sweet healing repentance and renewal and brilliant on the green

--afj

you’ve really been working at this

brilliant on the greening of the sky the bluing of the earth the browning of the land the baring of my feet and shivering of my arms (it’s still too cold for shortsleeves but who cares about that it’s spring and the snow is melting and the mud is sticky and the sun is pale-gold-brilliant)

//t.l.

thanks and also you put line breaks in weird places

sun might be pale but there’s a current throbbing through the air through the rail window i see draklings flying flurry and swoop and wheel all joy all excitement all life little scales flashing in the paleness of the sunlight (still bright enough to blind you as you watch their wings)

--afj

p.s. how’s your sister?

it’s for effect idiot

wings on dragons and wings on birds ripples under feathered skin ripples under scaly shoulders ripples off of careful words ripples in the water, ripples in the air ripples spreading cool and slow person to person fast as a thought fast as affection

//t.l.

p.s. nata’s starting to feel better. the sun lifts her spirits. she actually has energy now, can actually get out of bed.

you know you love me

fast as affection is, three things go faster: a breath before jumping dark before a candle worries when shared with a friend.

--afj

p.s. i’m really glad to hear it ❤

i do. i love you and i don’t know why you keep worming your way into my soul like a mole in turned-over soil tiny prickly claws of affection in ink-scratches dropped on the seat of a lightning-rail

you know. i’ve never really had a friend before. not like this. not this close. not this open.

...damn you.

//t.l.

p.s. she says she wants to meet you too, when we finally see each other.

v. beltain (an epilogue)

...so you know how they said we’re getting the whole week of beltain off

--afj

aren’t you going home for the holiday though?

//t.l.

my parents are traveling. i’m staying here.

--afj

fun I guess?

//t.l.

you and I will be in the same city for the entire break

--afj

oh